[Greenbuilding] Pedaling vs. PV, was: heretical observation

[Corwyn]

On 6/6/2012 12:34 PM, Reuben Deumling wrote:

> the trouble with PV in my town is we get zip in the winter. I'm working
> on putting my fridge coils through my North kitchen wall to reduce the
> wintertime fridge load on the grid/my future PV, but in the meantime PV
> seems less than satisfactory given the steep drop in the wintertime, not
> to mention the holdover winter peaking grid here in the PNW.

If you are able to connect to the grid with at least a net-metering 
arrangement, it doesn't matter how bad winter is, just your average 
sun-hours.

>
> You are a careful fellow; when you say 20x are you including in your
> estimate the lifecycle materials and energy required to build and
> install a PV system?

I figured for my back of the envelope calc, that they were approximately 
the same as your pedal generator.

Because if I eat lots of potatoes my wife grew in
> our back yard, and power my fridge by pedaling, vs powering my fridge
> with a PV panel it would be really interesting to try to compare the
> inputs over the life of the hardware involved.

Yes it would.

> Of course where I expect to end up is a combined system: some PV and
> some pedaling. but I would not have thought, per your calculations, that
> I should pedal only when there is no sun....

No, my contention is that you are better always using PV (or stored PV) 
and saving you exercise BTUs for something that can't readily be done 
with electricity.  For me, that would be firewood.

Thank You Kindly,

Corwyn


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Topher Belknap
Green Fret Consulting
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